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55-463: First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai , Mount Kōya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism . Located on an 800-meter-high plain amid eight peaks of the mountain, which was the reason this location was selected, in that the terrain is supposed to resemble a lotus plant, the original monastery has grown into the town of Kōya . Koya features

110-457: A major center for pilgrimage for all Japanese. The Shingon monk Kakuban (1095–1143) was one Shingon scholar who responded to the rise in Pure Land devotionalism. He studied Shingon along with Tendai and also incorporated Pure Land practice into his Shingon system, as well as promoting an esoteric interpretation of nembutsu and Pure Land. Unlike other Pure Land schools, Kakuban held that

165-409: A new school of esoteric Buddhism centered around Jingo-ji and wrote some key works which outlined the main teachings of Shingon. In 818, Kūkai asked emperor Saga to grant him Mount Kōya ( 高野山 Kōyasan ) , in present-day Wakayama province, so that he could establish a true monastic center away from the disturbances of the capital and this was soon granted. Kūkai and his disciples soon began to build

220-557: A university dedicated to religious studies and 120 sub-temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims. Mount Kōya is also a common starting point to the Shikoku Pilgrimage ( 四国遍路 , Shikoku Henro ) associated with Kūkai. The mountain is home to the following famous sites: In 2004, UNESCO designated Kongōbu-ji on Mount Kōya, as part of the World Heritage Site " Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in

275-936: Is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism . It is sometimes also called Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, or Eastern Esotericism ( Dōngmì , 東密). The word shingon is the Japanese reading of the Chinese word 真言 ( zhēnyán ), which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra . The Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (c. 7th–8th centuries) by Indian vajrācāryas (esoteric masters) like Śubhakarasiṃha , Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra . These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under

330-422: Is one, yet can be many". Huiguo Huiguo ( Chinese : 惠果 ; pinyin : Huìguǒ ; Wade–Giles : Hui-kuo ) (746–805) was a Buddhist monk of Tang China who studied and taught Chinese Esoteric Buddhism , a Vajrayana tradition recently imported from India . Later Huiguo would become the teacher of Kūkai , founder of Shingon Buddhism , a prominent school of Buddhism in Japan . Huiguo

385-514: Is the possibility of "becoming Buddha in this very embodied existence" (sokushin jōbutsu) , even for the most depraved persons. All beings thus have the potential to become Buddhas through their own effort and through the power / grace ( adhisthana ) of the Buddha. Kūkai thus rejected the idea we lived in an age of Dharma decline and that therefore one had to be reborn in a pure land to attain enlightenment. This also informs his positive view of

440-659: Is used extensively in Shingon as part of daily recitation and ritual practice. The full Sanskrit title is Mahāsukhavajra-amoghasamaya-sūtra (Ch. Dale jingang bukong zhenshi sanmohe jing , Sutra of the Vow of Fulfilling the Great Perpetual Enjoyment and Benefiting All Sentient Beings Without Exception ). Another important source for the Shingon school is the Awakening of Faith and a commentary on it called

495-467: Is “the original ground dharmakāya .” (薄伽梵即毘盧遮那本地法身, at Taisho no. 1796:39.580). According to Hakeda, Kūkai identified the Dharmakaya with "the eternal Dharma, the uncreated, imperishable, beginningless, and endless Truth". This ultimate reality does not exist independently of all things, but is immanent in them. Dainichi is worshipped as the supreme Buddha and also appears as the central figure of

550-722: The Mahāvairocana Sūtra ( 大日経 , Dainichi-kyō ) , the Vajraśekhara Sūtra ( 金剛頂経 , Kongōchō-kyō ) , and the Susiddhikara Sūtra ( 蘇悉地経 , Soshitsuji-kyō ) . Important Mahayana sutras in Shingon include the Lotus Sutra , the Brahmajāla Sūtra and Heart Sutra . Kūkai wrote commentaries on all three. Shingon derives form the early period of Indian Vajrayana (then known as Mantrayana,

605-487: The Five Wisdom Buddhas . Hakeda also writes that in Shingon, Dainichi is "at the center of a multitude of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and powers; He is the source of enlightenment and the unity underlying all variety. To attain enlightenment means to realize Mahāvairocana, the implication being that Mahāvairocana is originally within man." According to Kūkai, the Buddha's light illuminates and pervades all, like

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660-578: The On the Interpretation of Mahāyāna ( Shi Moheyan lun 釈摩訶衍論, Japanese: Shakumakaen-ron , Taisho no. 1668), which was traditionally attributed to Nagarjuna (though it is likely an East Asian composition). Finally, the works of Kūkai are key sources in Shingon Buddhism, including his various commentaries on the key esoteric texts of Shingon as well as original works like his magnum opus,

715-481: The Tendai school. During the late Heian, Pure Land Buddhism was becoming very popular and Shingon was also influenced by this popular devotional trend. Mount Kōya soon became the center for groups of wandering holy men called Kōya Hijiri , who merged Pure Land practices focused on Amida Buddha with devotion to Kūkai and were also involved in raising funds for the rebuilding of many temples. Kōya-san soon became

770-592: The nembutsu along with the popularization and use of the Mantra of Light . During the Heian period, the adoption of Shinto deities into Buddhism became popular, something that became known as Shinbutsu-shūgō (神仏習合, "syncretism of kami and buddhas"). This movement saw local Japanese deities as manifestations of the Buddhas. For example Amaterasu was seen as an emanation of Vairocana in Shingon. This emanation theory

825-468: The ritual repertoire of Japanese Zen , including Soto Zen (through the figure of Keizan ). Shingon Buddhism also influenced broader Japanese culture , including medieval Japanese aesthetics, art , and craftsmanship . Shingon Buddhism was founded in the Heian period (794–1185) by a Japanese Buddhist monk named Kūkai (774–835 CE) who traveled to China in 804 to study Esoteric Buddhist practices in

880-426: The "three mysteries" (Jp: sanmi 三密) of mudra , mantra and mandala . Another influential doctrine introduced by Shingon was the idea that all beings are originally enlightened, a doctrine that was known as hongaku . The Shingon school's teachings and rituals had an influence on other Japanese traditions, especially those of the Tendai school, as well as Shugendo and Shinto . Its teachings also influenced

935-880: The Chinŏn (眞言) and the Jingak Order (眞 覺), both of which are largely based on Shingon teachings. During the 20th century, Shingon Buddhism also spread to the West, especially to the United States (a move led by the Japanese Diaspora ). There are now various temples on the West Coast and Hawaii like Hawaii Shingon Mission (built 1915–1918) and Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin ( Los Angeles , founded 1912). The teachings of Shingon are based on Mahayana texts, and early Buddhist tantras . The key esoteric sources are

990-693: The Kii Mountain Range ". Kōya Sankeimichi, the traditional pilgrimage route to Mount Kōya was also inscribed as part of the World Heritage Site. The complex includes a memorial hall and cemetery honoring Japanese who were imprisoned or executed for committing atrocities during World War II. Kōya-san is accessible primarily by the Nankai Electric Railway from Namba Station (in Osaka) to Gokurakubashi Station at

1045-561: The Meiji era anti-buddhist persecutions known as haibutsu kishaku (abolish Buddhism and destroy Shākyamuni). Some Shingon temples that were affiliated with Shintō shrines were converted into shrines. Some Shinto monks left the Buddhist priesthood to become Shintō priests, or they returned to secular life. The government enforced the confiscation of temple land and this led to the closure of many Shingon temples. Those who survived had to turn to

1100-529: The Propagation of Dharma ) or Odaishi-sama ( お大師様 , The Great Master ) , the posthumous name given to him years after his death by Emperor Daigo . Kūkai was born to a family of the aristocratic Saeki clan in Shikoku and received a classical Confucian education at Kyoto's college (daigaku). He converted to Buddhism in his 20s and was inspired to practice asceticism in the mountains and wander

1155-549: The Pure Land exists in this very world and he also taught that Vairocana is Amida. Kakuban, and his faction of priests centered at the Denbō-in ( 伝法院 ) soon came into conflict with the leadership at Kongōbu-ji , the head temple at Mount Kōya . Through his connections with high-ranking nobles in Kyoto, Kakuban was appointed abbot of Mount Kōya. The leadership at Kongōbu-ji opposed him and after several conflicts (some of which involved

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1210-687: The Shingon school in 1615, incorporating it into its administrative temple system. Under this new peace, Shingon study was revived in the various temples. Hase-dera became a major center for the broad study of all of Buddhism and also of secular topics. Meanwhile in Kōyasan, the Ji sect hiriji were allowed to return and were incorporated into the Shingon school, though this would lead to conflict later on. During this period, monks like Jōgen and Onkō (1718–1804) focused on studying and promoting Buddhist precepts and monastic discipline. This renewed interest in precepts study

1265-431: The Shingon schools continued to develop, some under the support of elite families or even emperors, like Go-Uda (1267–1324), who entered the priesthood at Tō-ji and helped revitalize the temple as well as Daikaku-ji . Meanwhile, on Kōyasan, Yūkai (1345–1416) was responsible for revitalizing Shingon doctrinal study and also for driving away all of the nembutsu hiriji (now mostly following the Ji sect) who had been living on

1320-610: The Vehicle of Mantras). Unlike Tibetan Buddhism , which focuses on the Anuttarayoga Tantras , which are tantras that arose at a later date of Indian Buddhism , Shingon bases itself on earlier works like the Mahavairocana which generally lack the antinomian uses of sexual yoga , taboo substances and charnel ground imagery found in the later tantras. Nevertheless, the concept of "great bliss" (tairaku) and

1375-575: The auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai ( 空海 , 774–835), who traveled to Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805). Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture ), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Shingon Buddhism. The practice of the Shingon school stresses that one is able to attain "buddhahood in this very body" (sokushin jōbutsu) through its practices, especially those which make use of

1430-416: The base of the mountain. A cable car from Gokurakubashi ("Paradise Bridge") then whisks visitors to the top in 5 minutes. The entire trip takes about 1.5 hours on an express train or 2 hours by non-express. Local automobile traffic can be very heavy on weekends until well into the evening. On weekdays, however, the mountain offers a pleasant drive followed by the excitement of reaching the monasteries lining

1485-664: The burning down of temples of Kakuban's faction), Kakuban's group left the mountain for Mount Negoro to the northwest, where they constructed a new temple complex now known as Negoro-ji ( 根来寺 ) . After the death of Kakuban in 1143, attempts to make peace were unsuccessful and after further conflicts, the Negoro faction (led by Raiyu) founded the new Shingi Shingon School based on Kakuban's teachings. As such, Shingon became divided into two major sub-schools, Kogi Shingon ( 古義真言宗 , Ancient Shingon school ) , and Shingi Shingon ( 新義真言宗 , Reformed Shingon school ) . Over time,

1540-498: The city of Xi'an ( 西安 ), then called Chang-an, at Azure Dragon Temple ( 青龍寺 ) under Huiguo , a student of the Indian esoteric master Amoghavajra . Kūkai returned to Japan with the teachings and scriptures of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and founded a new tradition of Japanese Buddhism that became immediately influential with the island's elites. Shingon followers usually refer to Kūkai as Kōbō-Daishi ( 弘法大師 , Great Master of

1595-495: The countryside as an ascetic hermit (though he also visited cities to study texts). During this time his main meditation was the mantra of bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha found in the Kokūzō-gumonji no hō ( Ākāśagarbha Memory-Retention Practice , Taisho no.1145). While he was practicing in the mountains, he had a vision of the bodhisattva flying at him. During this early period of intense study, prayer and practice, Kūkai sought

1650-416: The head temple of Shingon. Mount Kōya experienced a period of decline afterwards, until it recovered in the 11th century through the support of Fujiwara clan nobles like Fujiwara no Michinaga . Shingon Buddhism enjoyed immense popularity during the Heian period ( 平安時代 ), particularly among the nobility, and contributed greatly to the art and literature of the time, influencing other communities such as

1705-591: The highest truth to be found in Buddhism. One day he dreamt of a man telling him to seek out the Mahavairocana Sutra . He was able to obtain a copy in Chinese (and Sanskrit) but large portions of the text were undecipherable to him and thus he decided to go to China to find someone who could explain it to him. In 804, Kūkai set sail on a fleet of four ships to China. The future Tendai founder Saichō

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1760-621: The imperial court for permission to establish a new Buddhist school and waited three years for a response in Kyushu . In 809 Kūkai was allowed to reside at a temple near Kyoto known as Takaosanji (now Jingo-ji ). This temple would become his major center of operations near the capital. Kūkai's fortunes rose steadily when Emperor Saga became his patron and Kūkai was appointed as the head of Todai-ji in 810. Kūkai began to give esoteric initiations (abhiseka) at this time, including to elite laymen and to Saicho and his students. He also began to organize

1815-456: The light of the sun (hence his name). The immanent presence also means that every being already has "original enlightenment" ( hongaku ) within. This is also known as the "enligthened mind" ( bodhicitta ) and the Buddha nature . As Kūkai writes: "Where is the Dharmakaya? It is not far away; it is in our body. The source of wisdom? In our mind; indeed, it is close to us!" Because of this, there

1870-411: The mountain. He also purged the tradition of all traces of the heterodox Tachikawa school (even burning their texts). The Tachikawa school was known for teaching a mixed form of esotericism which made use of Daoist and sexual practices. During the war torn Sengoku period (1467 to 1615), all the Shingon temples in or near the capital were destroyed or stripped of all lands, while the Shingon centers in

1925-418: The mountains like Kōya and Negoro were forced to raise militaries for self defense, though sometimes they used these forces to attempt to expand the lands holdings of their temples. Mount Negoro, the center of Shingi Shingon, was sacked by the daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi ( 豊臣秀吉 ) in 1585. After this show of force, Kōyasan, the last major Shingon temple left standing at this time, submitted to Hideyoshi, and

1980-766: The natural world, as well as of the arts, all of which he saw as manifestations of the Buddha. Dainichi is the ultimate source of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and of the entire cosmos. The centrality of Dainichi is seen in the fact that he appears at the centre of both the Diamond Realm and the Womb Realm mandalas. According to Kūkai, Mahāvairocana is also the Universal Principle which underlies all Buddhist teachings. Thus, other Buddhist deities can be thought of as manifestations of Dainichi, each with their own attributes. As Kūkai writes, "the great Self

2035-418: The new monastic complex, which they imagined and modeled on the two mandalas, the womb and vajra. This mountain center soon became the key center for Shingon study and practice. In his later life, Kūkai continued to actively promote the efficacy of Shingon ritual among the elite even while also working to build Kōyasan into a major center. Kūkai eventually achieved control of Tō-ji for the Shingon school, which

2090-532: The number of Shingon followers at ten million and the number of priests at sixteen thousand in around eleven thousand temples (in his 1988 book). In Japan, there are also several new Shingon influenced groups classified as 'New Religions'. Some of these new movements include Shinnyo-en , Agon-shu and Gedatsu-kai. Another recent modern development is the phenomenon of Chinese students reviving Chinese Esoteric Buddhism through studying Japanese Shingon. This “tantric revival movement” (mijiao fuxing yundong 密教復興運動)

2145-590: The oversight of Kōyasan Shingon-shū or Shingon-shu Buzan-ha and minister as Chinese branches of Japanese Shingon, but others have chosen to create independent and distinct schools. Today, these revivalist lineages exist in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Though they draw mainly from Shingon teachings, they have also adopted some Tibetan Buddhist elements. A similar phenomenon has occurred in South Korea , where two recent esoteric schools have been founded,

2200-462: The regular population for support. During the Meiji period, the government also adopted the "one sect, one leader" rule which forced all Shingon schools to merge under a single leader which was called a "Chōja" (Superintendent). This led to some internal political conflict among the various sub-schools of Shingon, some of which attempted to form their own separate official sects. Some of these eventually succeeded in attaining independence and eventually

2255-918: The summit. Many Buddhist monasteries on the mountain function as hotels for visitors providing traditional accommodation with an evening meal and breakfast. Guest are also invited to participate in the morning services. Nicoloff, Philip L. (2008). Sacred Koyasan: A pilgrimage to the Mountain Temple of Saint Kōbō Daishi and the Great Sun Buddha . State University of New York Press . ISBN   978-0-7914-7259-0 . 34°12′45″N 135°35′11″E  /  34.21250°N 135.58639°E  / 34.21250; 135.58639 Shingon New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : Shingon ( 真言宗 , Shingon-shū , "True Word / Mantra School")

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2310-585: The ten volume Jūjū shinron (Treatise on Ten Levels of Mind) and the shorter summary Hizō hōyaku (Precious Key to the Secret Treasury) . In Shingon, the Buddha Mahāvairocana (Sanskrit for "Great Illuminator"), also known as Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, "Great Sun Tathagata ") is the universal primordial ( honji-shin ) Buddha that is the basis of all phenomena. Śubhakarasiṃha's Darijing shu (大日經疏‎, J. Dainichikyōsho ) states that Mahāvairocana

2365-555: The transformation of desire (and other defilements) into wisdom is found in Shingon. Another important sutra in Shingon is the Prajñāpāramitānaya-sūtra (Jp. Hannyarishukyō , Taishō vol. 8, no. 243). This is a late "tantric" Prajñaparamita sutra in 150 lines which was translated by Amoghavajra and which contains various verses and seed syllables which encapsulate the Prajñaparamita teaching. The Hannyarishukyō

2420-827: The two Shingon sub-schools also diverged doctrinally on such issues as the attainment of buddhahood through a single mantra and the theory of how the Dharmakāya teaches the Dharma. Following in Kakuban's footsteps, the Koyasan monk Dōhan 道範 (1179–1252) has been seen as a key figure in the promotion of what has been called an “esoteric Pure Land culture”, a Shingon variety of Pure Land Buddhism that became very popular during this period and influenced other figures and schools like Eison of Saidaiji's Shingon Risshu. This esoteric pure land culture included esoteric uses and interpretations of

2475-562: The unified Shingon sect split into various sub-sects again. In March 1941, under the government's religious policy, Shingon schools were forcibly merged to form the 'Dai-Shingon' sect. During the second world war , prayers for the surrender of enemy nations were frequently held at various temples. After the war, both Ko-Gyō and Shin-Gyō schools continued to separate, and some established their own unique doctrines and traditions. There are now around eighteen major Shingon schools with their own headquarter temples (honzan) in Japan. Yamasaki estimated

2530-455: Was Shinnen (804–891) and already at this time there was some conflict between Tō-ji and Kōyasan. Some Shingon monks also followed in Kūkai's footsteps and visited China to receive more teachings and texts. Likewise, several Tendai monks also visited China and brought back esoteric teachings, making Tendai esotericism a major competitor to Shingon. Under Kangen (853–925), Tō-ji temple rose to become

2585-567: Was a major temple within the capital. His final request before his death in 832 was to construct a Shingon hall in Imperial palace grounds in order to accommodate the practice of the seven day ritual of chanting the Sutra of Golden Light. His request was eventually granted, a year after his death . After Kūkai, the main Shingon temples were taken over by key disciples like Jitsue, Shinzen, Shinzai, Eon and Shōhō. The main leadership after his death

2640-465: Was called honji suijaku by Buddhists. Major Shingon centers participated in this development, with key deities like Hachiman being worshipped at temples like Tō-ji for example. Also during the Heian period, the syncretic religion of Shugendō started to develop and the influence of Shingon was one major element in its development. Shingon was especially influential on the Tōzan branch of Shugendō. which

2695-477: Was centered on Mount Kinbu. The Kamakura period (1185 to 1333) saw the rise of another new Shingon tradition, the Shingon-risshū school. This new tradition stressed the importance of keeping the monastic Vinaya, along with esoteric practice. It was promoted by figures like Shunjō (1166–1227) and Eison (叡尊 1201–1290) and centered around Saidai-ji . Ninshō carried on the work of this tradition, which

2750-506: Was known for its many public works projects, including building hospitals, hostels for the poor and animal sanctuaries. Also during this period, many followers of the Ji sect founded by Ippen (1234–1289) made Kōya-san their home, joining with the Kōya hiriji groups, and many halls for Amida centered Pure Land practice were built on the mountain. During the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573),

2805-542: Was likely a response to Confucian critiques of Buddhism at the time. Onkō was also a well known scholar of Sanskrit. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), the state forced a separation of Shinto and Buddhism ( shinbutsu bunri ) and abolished the Chokusai Hōe (Imperial Rituals). The Shingon school was significantly affected by these changes (since it was closely connected with many Shinto shrines), as well as by

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2860-496: Was mainly propagated by Chinese Buddhists who traveled to Japan to be trained, initiated, and receive dharma transmission as acharyas in the Shingon tradition and who then return home to establish the tradition. Some important figures of this revival include Wang Hongyuan 王弘願 (1876–1937), and Guru Wuguang (悟光上師 (1918–2000), both trained in Shingon and went on to spread Shingon teachings in the Chinese speaking world. Some of these Chinese acharyas have chosen to officially remain under

2915-668: Was on the same fleet. When Kūkai first met Huiguo (a student of Amoghavajra ) on the fifth month of 805, Huiguo was sixty and on the verge of death. Huiguo exclaimed to Kūkai that he had been waiting for him and immediately initiated him into the esoteric mandalas. In the short space of three months, Huiguo initiated and taught Kūkai everything he knew on the doctrines and practices of esoteric Buddhism. During this time Kūkai also learned Sanskrit from some Indian masters living in China. Kūkai returned to Japan after Huiguo's death in 806. He brought back numerous Buddhist texts, mandalas, ritual items and other books. After returning, Kūkai asked

2970-700: Was one of two Buddhist masters at Ximing Temple , the other being the Indian monk Prajñā . Huiguo began his study of Buddhism as a śrāmaṇera at age 9 under a senior disciple of Amoghavajra , a monk of the tantric tradition, eventually becoming a direct disciple. By age 22 in 766 CE, Huiguo was ordained as a monk and extensively studied the Womb Realm and Diamond Realm mandalas before being fully initiated into Vajrayana that same year by Amoghavajra. In time, Huiguo's prominence attracted students from Korea , Central Asia and even Java , aside from his Chinese students. Huiguo began an intensive training of Kūkai that ended when he died in 805 CE. After his death,

3025-754: Was spared destruction. During the Edo period (1603–1868), the Shingi Shingon monks from Mount Negoro had escaped and took their lineages elsewere, eventually founding new schools at Hase-dera (the Buzan school) and at Chishaku (the Chisan-ha school). In the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate implemented new religious control measures for the Buddhist community. Tokugawa Ieyasu issued regulations for

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